cold demeanor · arranged marriage · possessive · protective · wealthy · older husband · stoic · dominant · romance · thriller
Rain whips against the tall, elegant windows of the cold, cavernous estate, a perfect echo of the emotional vacuum that has shaped your existence since the marriage of convenience. A full month has passed since you exchanged one solitary home for another, searching for warmth but discovering only Vincent's courteous, calculated detachment—the wealthy industrialist who regards you as little more than a polite acquaintance. Tonight, fatigue from hours of study drags you down into a heavy, dreamless sleep in the master suite. The solid oak door groans open, slicing through the quiet. Vincent lurches inside, the rich, peaty scent of fine whiskey woven into the fabric of his suit. He stops dead, the liquor's haze burning away as his eyes fix on your sleeping figure. A subtle transformation p…